


eros, adonis

by pageofwands (eorumverba)



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 05:12:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16234865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eorumverba/pseuds/pageofwands
Summary: “We should get going, I think.” they mumble, and Julian’s disappointment must show on his face, because Asra comes back to kiss the corner of his mouth once, twice, again. “My friends will kill me if I miss too much of the speech, especially if it was just to kiss a very pretty boy in a very public bathroom.”





	eros, adonis

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr - [x](https://page-ofwands.tumblr.com/)

There are honestly only a few things that Julian can concentrate on now, and they all have to do with the pretty,  _pretty_ stranger that he’s been eyeing for the past while. They’re across the room, pressed up against the side of someone who is equally as pretty but much less of Julian’s type, but they’re not paying attention to any of the conversation going on around them. Instead, they look bored and restless, their gaze flitting around the room and lighting on people for only a few moments before something new begs their attention.

They’re  _pretty,_ Julian thinks again, pretty golden skin and pretty dyed silvery-white hair, pretty violet eyes and a pretty smile, pretty lips and pretty hands. Everything about them is pretty, and then their gaze falls on him. Julian expects that the eye contact will brief, that maybe they’ll share a smile or a nod, and that will be it, but instead, their gaze stays, holds. They tilt their head a little, almost like they’re assessing him, and they must find something they like, because they  _smile,_ mischievous and pretty and playful, and all Julian wants right now is to kiss the corner of their mouth, right where their dimple is.

“Christ, the year hasn’t even started and you’re already flirting?” Julian can hear the (fond) judgement in his sister’s voice, and without really meaning to, he breaks eye contact with the pretty stranger to look her in the eye when he replies.

“I’m not  _flirting_ , just _looking_. There’s no harm in looking, is there?”

Portia scoffs and rolls her eyes, shaking her head as she frowns. It’s the usual frown she wears when she argues with him, the one that’s very clearly just her trying to bite back a smile. “Whatever, Ilya.”

Julian rolls his eyes back at her before facing forwards, and - his heart jumps when he sees that the pretty stranger is still, still watching. (He’s not blushing.) Looking, he reminds himself, just  _looking,_ but then the pretty stranger leans back in their seat, smirk on their lips, legs spread just enough. They’re all inviting, definitely flirting and Julian is supposed to be just  _looking_ , and how can anyone make a simple button down and slacks look so  _good?_

And then they stand, casting one last lingering glance in Julian’s direction before heading for the door. And the opening ceremony is about to start, the whole school year is going to start, but if it’s a competition between following the pretty,  _pretty_ stranger out the door and starting off college proper, well. It’s no competition. Julian’s following them out the door as if led by a string.

Half of him is scared that they were maybe teasing or just hadn’t meant it like  _that,_ but Julian’s heart drops in relief when he sees them leaning against the wall just across the hall. And from there, it should be simple, but all he gets is another playful smile before they push themself off the wall and walk away, like Julian isn’t  _right there._

“ _Hey,_ ” Julian calls out, offense cutting through his voice, and no, he’s  _not_ pouting. The pretty (even prettier up close) stranger doesn’t respond to Julian’s complaint except to laugh, soft and fond. Julian’s already a little bit enamoured for some reason, and again, there’s no choice here: he follows the pretty stranger down the hall, and he really hopes he’s read this right because he’s being led to a bathroom, knows he’s read this right when he’s pushed by firm, gentle hands against the door as soon as it swings shut.

“Hi,” the pretty (pretty, beautiful, gorgeous) stranger whispers, still smiling. “You followed me.”

“You invited.”

“Who says I did?”

“I wouldn’t have caught your eye if you weren’t already looking at me.”

Just as quiet, just as calm, they say, “Who says you wouldn’t have?” And when Julian is left reeling, trying and failing to come up with a reply to  _that,_ they giggle. “I’m Asra, just so you know.”

“Julian. You’re beautiful, you know that?”

“I know.” Asra sounds amused, and Julian feels his cheeks begin to burn; he’s never been the best at recovering from attention like  _this,_ or being flirted back with, or romantic, teasing affection in general.

“Are you going to kiss me now?”

“Should I?” Asra tilts their head a little, and the way they do it is entirely on purpose because their lips just,  _just_ barely brush. Even though their hands are still on Julian’s shoulders, they’re gentle, and there’s barely any pressure - but Julian stays in place as if held there. Waiting, waiting, for whatever Asra will give.

“Please. Just…”

“Just what?”

“ _Please_.”

Asra giggles again, and Julian has the  _urge_ to kiss their dimple, so he does. Asra’s face when they pull back is one of surprise, and Julian’s heart  _jumps_ in his throat because they’re  _gorgeous._  They’re gorgeous, and Julian has always fallen fast, fallen hard. “ _Please_ , Asra.”

As he speaks, the surprised expression slowly fades from Asra’s face, and is replaced by that familiar, playful expression. “Please what? Use your words, Julian.”

“Want you to kiss me. Please.  _Please._ ” And this is bad, because Julian can  _feel_ himself getting needy already, already.

Asra leans in again, and this time, Julian feels their smile as it’s pressed to his forehead, to the tip of his nose, to each cheek. “Now what do you want, Julian?”

“ _God,_ ” Julian starts - and he’s sure the desperation must show on his face, because Asra just laughs, full on now. And then, and  _then._ Asra’s lips are gentle and plush and soft, and his hair is somehow impossibly even softer when Julian runs his fingers through it. Julian falls a little bit in love with Asra when they smile against his mouth, falls a little bit in love with Asra when they pull back and linger for two three four seconds, falls a little bit in love with Asra when they  _smile,_ radiant and glowing.

Julian leans in to kiss Asra’s dimple when it winks out at him again, falls even more in love when Asra leans in again and laughs against his lips.  “We should get going, I think.” they mumble, and Julian’s disappointment must show on his face, because Asra comes back to kiss the corner of his mouth once, twice, again. “My friends will kill me if I miss  _too_ much of the speech, especially if it was just to kiss a very pretty boy in a very public bathroom.”

And yeah, Asra has a point, but Julian - he knows how this goes, that this is it, no matter what they’ll say, even if the next words out of Asra’s mouth are- “But we’re having a party on Friday. You should come.”

“Maybe,” Julian shrugs, tries for nonchalant. Grins - the practiced, roguish one that works on every girl, every guy - and asks, “Another one for the road?”

All Asra does in response is lean up to kiss him, lazy and slow and almost  _intimate_. It’s not a way Julian has ever kissed, ever  _been_ kissed before, and Asra’s toying with the hem of his shirt now, idle and gentle, always gentle. And just when (and maybe because) Julian begins to let himself melt, Asra pulls back. It’s for good this time (for now) he can tell, so he finally drops his hands from Asra’s (tiny) waist, lets them step back and watches them touch their lips almost absently.

“I’ll see you Friday, Julian.” A quick smile and a wink of their dimple, and then Asra slips around Julian and through the door, and that’s - that’s it.

* * *

Friday night has Julian at the party, along with practically everyone else on campus. It’s a well known fact that Lucio (a junior, very well known and not very well liked) always throws the biggest, the best, the wildest parties, and this is definitely not Julian’s first college party, but it  _feels_ like it with how wild this one already is - and it’s barely even nine. There are groups people hanging over the porch and on the front lawn and bottles strewn everywhere, and inside isn’t much better. The music is blaring loud, drinks are flowing freely, and the smell of weed is overpowering. And Julian’s not opposed to any of that, just - just.

Julian grabs the first unopened bottle on the counter that he can find, opens it quick and easy and settles down on the first open chair (comfy, an armchair, and there’s a suspicious stain on one of the arms that he’s  _going_ to ignore) he can find. And from there it’s watching, waiting - watching for honey gold skin and a dimple on the corner of lips that are most definitely as soft as they look, waiting for the first glimpse of silvery white hair and violet eyes. It doesn’t come until later though, not until he’s finished his third bottle, not until most of the party has moved inside, not until he’s ready to head out and  _home._  But then - silver hair and violet eyes and honey gold skin, and this,  _this_ is why he’d stayed.

Asra spots Julian just as he opens his mouth to call out to them, and the smile he receives is radiant. Glittery cheeks, glossed lips and honey gold skin is all Julian can focus on, and quick and fluid as water, Asra slips through the crowd, pressing Julian back into the chair and follows him, settling in his lap like they belong there. “You came,” they say, breathless, and it’s Julian that should, that  _does_ feel that way.

“Of course I did. There’s free beer.” Julian’s hands settle on Asra’s waist (just as tiny as he’d remembered) and Asra shifts a little in his lap, a fond little smile flirting with their lips.

“What, you didn’t miss me?”

“Maybe a little.  _Just_ a little though. Don’t start getting the wrong idea, yeah?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, unless of course it meant that I don’t get to kiss you again.”

“God, never.”

Asra breathes out a laugh against Julian’s lips, and lets themself be tugged forward so they can settle fully on Julian’s lap. “Can I kiss you then?”

Julian nods, just a little, and then. Asra’s lips are just as soft as they had been before, and Julian  _melts,_ losing himself in the plushness of Asra’s lips and the warmth of their body against his. They’re wearing this gauzy, see through shirt and  _tight_ leather pants, and Julian can’t stop  _touching._ All Asra does is let him, push back into his hands and  _let_ him. And this is so much better than before, because now they have time to feel, time to see what noises he can pull from Asra’s mouth. Breathy whines when Julian tugs at their lower lip, aborted gasps when he touches hard and squeezes tight, shaky breaths when Julian pulls away and lingers close.

“You’re glowing.” Julian can’t help the words that tumble from his lips, but he doesn’t regret them when Asra smiles, a little soft, a little flustered. “You’re beautiful, Asra. I mean that, you’re so  _beautiful._ ”

Asra’s definitely pleased, and they lean back a little, just enough for Julian to watch them, and for them to watch him. “You’re not too shabby yourself, Julian. And  _I_  mean  _that_.”

Julian wants to,  _wants_ to say something, but all words die in his throat and he instead leans up to kiss Asra’s dimple again. “We’ll be here all night if we keep this up.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” One of Asra’s hands comes up to card through Julian’s hair, and their smile is so soft and so fond that Julian can’t help smiling too.

“Spending the night with you? That sounds like heaven.”

“Oh, shut up, Julian.”

“Make me then.”

Something flickers in Asra’s eyes then, and their smile turns just a little bit knowing, just a little bit dangerous. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Instead of answering, Julian just kisses Asra again, warmth pooling in his stomach at how different it is now, how biting and harsh the kiss is. Still intimate, just  _harder,_ and though it sounded almost like a joke, Julian can tell from this alone that Asra would very easily be able to give him anything, everything.

“Tell me what you want,” Asra mumbles against Julian’s lips. One of their hands is resting gentle in his hair, but with each moment that Julian doesn’t answer, it begins to tighten in a fist and then tug, gentle and slow at first, but  _god._

“Tell me what to do instead. I’ll do anything you want, whatever you need, just  _please,_ don’t tease anymore-”

The look on Asra’s face is absolutely sinful now, but something in their grin tells Julian that they are absolutely not done teasing. “Do you want me to hurt you, Julian?”

“ _God,_ yes.”

“What else? Tell me.” And when Julian doesn’t, Asra’s other hand comes up to cover his neck, gentle, gentle. “ _Tell_ me.”

“Can I show you instead? I’ll be so good, I’ll do anything, let me show you.”

Asra laughs and stands, eyes twinkling as they take Julian’s hand in his. “Come upstairs with me and maybe you can.”

If it’s a competition between following Asra upstairs and doing… _anything_ else, well. It’s no competition.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> • julian's a double chem-bio major (because he hates himself) and asra majors in art and has a minor in botany  
> • julian falls in love way too easy and absolutely cannot separate his romantic and sexual feelings  
> • asra is the opposite; they love kissing people just because they can  
> • everyone hates lucio in this since he's kind of an ass but they all show up to his parties since they're admittedly very good parties, plus free alcohol  
> • asra's not a big party person and other than the first of the year and holiday themed parties, they don't go unless their friends drag them  
> • the only thing they do at parties is find people to kiss and drink wine coolers


End file.
